What we have accomplished thus far....

He who does not remember his past cannot imagine the future!

A Creation Care Time Line

2014-2016

With the help of Dan Jarenko and the District Creation Care Committee, we created an instrument to evaluate and determine what areas of our common life at church could be adjusted to create a smaller carbon footprint.

Curriculum delivered in Sunday School classes

Placement of recycle bins in classrooms

Church garden focused on pollinators and healthy living

Ending our use of plastic food service and focus on serving local, fresh, healthy foods thanks to Martha Stamps' work.

Wednesday night thread on sustainable Christian living

Annual Earth Day Recycling Program for the community.

2017-18

Hosted a Wednesday night seriesFeb. 8 - PreparingfortheSpringGrowingSeason- Our class series began with Peter Anderson, owner of Eco-Logic Landscaping Company. He discussed how to prepare for the Spring Growing Season, including ideas for composting, gardening tools, and even how to test your soil! He helped guide us through the best choices of native plants, high success rate veggies and herbs, and explain the benefits of choosing seeds or starts.

Feb. 15 -BeautifulFlowersandTastyVegetables- Deborah Beazley, the Director of Warner Park Nature Center’s organic garden, lead a discussion about how to enhance your garden with beneficial mulching and watering practices. Participants learned how to grow beautiful flowers that attract and nourish important pollinators and how to raise tasty vegetables without the use of harsh chemicals.

Feb. 22 -ContainerandRaisedBedGardening- Joan Clayton-Davis, the chair of the Davidson County Master Gardeners’ Speakers Committee, joined us to share ideas about gardening in containers and raised beds. This presentation was perfect for many of our families that live with constraints that make traditional gardening difficult. Joan taught us about growing plants on window sills, decks, and porches, and will help expand our ideas about spaces where plants can flourish.

Feb. 25 - Joined other churches & TnEnvironmental Council for Tree Planting

March 1 - GardeningwithChildren- Our last session was held on March 1 and focused on helping children learn to garden. This session was led by West End’s own Karen McIntyre, the librarian and Garden Director at West Meade Elementary School. She and several other school gardeners and advocates provided a broadened ideas of what gardening with children can look like.